Steve Lamontagne

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Earth Month Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of trees and plants in my yard.

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

I will take a walk for 10 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water a day or 330 gallons (1,230 L) a month by installing a toilet tank bank.

I will tend to a garden, or prepare for one, each day using sustainable gardening practices.

I will encourage my office to hold meetings virtually whenever possible instead of requiring travel.

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 30 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

I will create a plan to and advocate for solar installation at my business, apartment building, or campus.

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

Cheap, single-use items and disposable packaging end up blowing around as litter more often in poor and BIPOC-majority neighborhoods. I will avoid buying and using 6 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

I will research and tell 1 people each day about the benefits of alternative energy sources like wind turbines, solar energy, geothermal energy, and methane digesters.

I will Practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.